Steelmanning is perhaps best described by Daniel Dennett’s first rule of successful critical commentary: "Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: 'Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way.’”

Writing several decades earlier, the psychologist Carl Rogers prescribed similar: “Stop the discussion for a moment, and institute this rule: ‘Each person can speak up for himself only after he has first restated the ideas and feelings of the previous speaker accurately, and to that speaker’s satisfaction.’”

Video timestamps:
2:56 – Jordan Peterson on the value of steelmanning an opponent’s argument
3:27 – Sam Harris steelmanning Jordan Peterson’s point of view
6:36 – Jordan Peterson’s assessment of Sam Harris's steelmanning
7:17 – Jordan Peterson steelmanning Sam Harris’s point of view


REFERENCES

– My video on Straw Man arguments:    • Straw Man Arguments (feat. Donald Tru...  
– Daniel Dennett quote from his book, Intuition Pumps And Other Tools for Thinking https://amzn.to/2QVdfBp
– Eric Ravenscraft article https://lifehacker.com/utilize-the-st...
– Video: Jordan Peterson and Sam Harris Steelman each other's Arguments    • (Vancouver) Jordan Peterson and Sam H...  


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